Tubebaits or Gitzits - Whatever!
They Catch Big Bass!

I first used Gitzits, or tubebaits are they are more commonly known, at Lake Guntersville. At the time I thought they were the strangest looking lure ever invented. I rigged one on a jighead and just started casting to some laydowns in Town Creek. I pulled it through the limbs and let it fall. Bang! A bass blasted it! The rest of the day I spent trying different techniques of jigging, twitching and just dragging it. I caught enough bass that day to convince me tubebaits were here to stay.

The original Gitzit tubebait was introduced in the mid-1980's. Its inventor, Bobby Garland, created a bait that has been copied, modified and imitated many times and has stood the test of time. Virtually every soft plastic manufacturer offers a tube lure design. Some have combined a crawfish or salamander shape with the hollow body design of a tube to create a unique product. Other companies have produced jig heads, hooks, rattles and trailers designed specifically for use with tubes. If imitation is the greatest form of flattery then Bobby Garland has been greatly honored.

One of the most versatile of all soft plastic designs, tubes continue to catch bass from the surface to the bottom in shallow and deep water year round. Your creativity is the only limitation when it comes to rigging and fishing tubes. They are commonly Texas-rigged, Carolina-rigged, drop-shot rigged and even fished weightless. The most basic rigging method involves inserting a jig head into the hollow body of a tube. This method is commonly used when fishing the smaller, 3-inch tubes on spinning tackle. With the jig head tucked inside the tube, this rig works great as a finesse lure in clear water. It also skips exceptionally well, making it a good choice for fishing boat docks and shorelines with overhanging vegetation. The action of a tube can be greatly affected by the position of the jig head inside the body. With the jig head pushed all the way forward, tubebaits tend to fall faster with less spiral. To slow the fall and increase the amount of spiral, position the jig head back from the "nose" of the tube.

Let me explain the ways in which this bait can be used.

Flipping

This is the method used by Denny Brauer in 1998 to win the Bassmaster Classic.

Pitching

Similar rules apply here as they do for flipping. Casting a distance with a lure like this will make a quiet entry into the water a little more difficult. The best technique is to raise the rod tip just as the lure is about to enter the water. This slows the bait in the air and will lessen the impact on landing. Casting a longer distance than you would for flipping requires additional attention to the line. Feeling the bite can also be aided by running the line over a finger in front of the reel. Subtle movements are often felt with this method when retrieving the line.

Carolina Rigging

Carolina rigging a tube bait can often pick up the larger fish that hold deep and are wise to worms and lizards, so please do not over look it when the fishing gets tough.

Texas Style

Finally, tube baits can also be fished Texas style with the weight on the nose of the lure. In heavy weeds allow the weight to run freely on the line.This eliminates a lot of snagging in the weeds. If the weeds have open areas, peg the weight with a piece of toothpick. Do not use a weight over a quarter ounce as it affects the lure action.

Return from Tubebaits to Alabama Bass Fishing